On Media

AP cautiously commends DOJ regulations

Associated Press president and CEO Gary Pruitt issued a statement late Friday night cautiously commending the Justice Department's new press regulations, saying they should provide "significantly greater protection for journalists."

"The Associated Press is still reviewing the new regulations, but the Department of Justice appears to be following through on what the Attorney General promised in July," Pruitt wrote. "These new regulations should provide significantly greater protection for journalists. This is important as the regulations, more so than the courts, traditionally have provided the bulwark of protection for journalists from the reach of federal prosecutors. We are hopeful that these regulations will be enforced as intended and that Congress will pass a federal shield law to further protect journalists."

The new regulations, which were published Friday afternoon, put new limitations on the DOJ's ability to question or prosecuate suspected offenses that were done in the course of journalism. They also require the DOJ to give "reasonable and timely notice" to journalists prior to the use of a subpoena, court order or warrant, unless it would threaten the investigation in question.

The regulations, which Attorney General Eric Holder submitted to President Obama last July, resulted from revelations early last year that the DOJ had subpoenaed the phone records of Associated Press reporters and labeled Fox News reporter James Rosen a co-conspirator in separate leak investigations.